Draper prioritizes Public Works facility and explores sprung structure for fire logistics

Councilmembers agreed the Public Works facility is a top capital priority and heard options for meeting space and equipment needs, including modular 'sprung' structures and retrofits of existing leased space.

Cooley (S8, staff) said the city has issued an RFP for a needs-assessment consultant to define functions the new facility must serve. The council discussed splitting operations—keeping some functions at the existing public-works yard while acquiring or building a strong, functional facility elsewhere to house mechanics, training rooms and logistics. "We have issued the RFP for the needs assessment," Cooley said, explaining that the assessment will identify whether a single new building or a split-site approach is most cost-effective.

Fire operations described specific capacity shortfalls: "We have no extra bedroom space in any of our stations," the fire representative (Clint, S9) said, noting limits on training capacity and office space that constrain hiring and paramedic training. Council asked staff to explore purchase or lease-to-own options for the current logistics building, to estimate costs of a sprung structure (including lease savings versus construction cost), and to return with a prioritized capital plan and timeline.

Given the budget gap, councilmembers emphasized phasing and partnerships: they asked for solutions that minimize ongoing operating costs, look for private or donor contributions where appropriate, and identify short-term mitigations to avoid expensive leased-space rent trajectories.